[Dixielandjazz] Why is it that big business always gets a hold ofart and takes the life blood out of it?

[philwilking]

"
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
>
> Many current bands seem to be stuck in a time slot that mirrors 2 above.
> "Making as few substantive changes as possible", while steadfastly
> declaiming that what they play is "The Truth" since it was good enough for
> grandpa 70 years ago, it should be good enough for everybody else today.
>
> Nor do they innovate.
>
> What, make changes? Like Louis or Bix, or Condon or Watters, or Turk, or 
> the
> British Trad guys? Nah, not me. I'll just copy them.
>
> The only problem is 1 above. There is no profit in jazz for most of the
> players.
>

That is true, and it illustrates why very few jazz players are top officers 
in major corporations. Those officers love nothing but making money. 
Everything else in their lives is subordinated to that. It's how they keep 
the scores of their lives.

As for being stuck in a time slot, I'll agree with that. Of course, in my 
own case, it's not because they found THE TRUTH in the 1920's or because I 
resist change for the sake of resistance. It's because I like the brash 
optimism, the energetic ambience, the élan, the exuberance, the "I'm out to 
accomplish something, and I'm going to get it done with, without, or through 
you; so lead, follow, or get out of the way" attitude of the music of the 
1920's I choose to listen to and play. (Hmmm! Maybe they did find at least A 
Truth: If you get up and set out to do something, you have at least a chance 
of success; if you merely sit around and whine about doing it, you are 
guaranteed to fail.)

And considering "play," I also like that those people had enough 
self-confidence to be willing to play with the music and make silly jokes 
with it: the novelty tunes, those atrocious puns and "knock-knock jokes" of 
music. It takes basic self-confidence and a fundamentally happy attitude to 
do those well.

So, I play what I like the way I like to play it, not imitating anyone but 
definitely not in a modern fashion. I get very few calls to play for pay, 
but that's OK, I am not trying to make a living at music.

PHIL WILKING

Those who would exchange freedom for
security deserve neither freedom nor security.